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Emoni Bates, one of high school basketball’s top prospects, announced his commitment to Memphis on Wednesday, firmly positioning the Tigers as a potential Final Four team.
Bates will adjust to coach Penny Hardaway’s schedule over the next season. Bates appeared in the Memphis Student Directory early Wednesday afternoon; the last day to register for the fall semester is Thursday.
A small, 6-foot-9 forward from Ypsilanti, Mich., Bates is ranked No. 3 in the ESPN 100 for the 2021 class. He originally enlisted in Michigan state last summer before moving on. reopen its recruitment in April. Long expected to skip college and choose to play professionally, Bates didn’t have a busy recruiting until spring.
Earlier this month, Bates announced he is moving back into the 2021 class while narrowing his list of options to four: Michigan State, Oregon, Memphis and the G League.
He made visits to Memphis and Oregon last week.
Bates had been ranked as the No. 1 player in Class 2022 since he first appeared on the recruiting scene early in his high school career, but he had an irregular junior season at Ypsi Prep, Mich. ). However, he regained some of his momentum with the basic team final program in the spring, re-establishing himself as one of the top scorers in high school. Joining the Bates Fundamental again on the Nike EYBL Tour in July, Bates averaged 20.0 points in nine games, including a 33-point performance.
He also played a 35-point game in late July in the Nike Peach Jam consolation bracket, shooting 13 for 24 from the field and finishing with six rebounds and three assists.
In Memphis, Bates will join Jalen Duren, another potential NBA top-five pick, who he played with in the tag team final in the spring. Duren signed up to the Tigers earlier this month.
“Bates is considered to be one of the most gifted offensive players in the game,” said Paul Biancardi, national director of recruiting for ESPN. “Agile and explosive with a positional size and top-level shooting talent from anywhere, he has elusive dribbling and will be excellent in transitions, isolates, pull-up jumpers and 3-spot-ups, as well. than to play in second position side actions of the ball screen.
“Bates brings competitiveness but must continue to mature. Like most freshmen, there is a lot to learn on the defensive end of the pitch. He had demonstrated his ability to perform well with Jalen Duren from their weekend together on the home circuit with the Finals. Duren and Bates could be one of the deadliest combinations in college basketball this season. “
Bates and Duren are two of four ESPN 100 prospects to commit to Memphis in the 2021 class, with Johnathan Lawson and Josh Minott also heading to the Tigers. Four-star center Sam Onu is another freshman to watch next season.
Hardaway has three returning starters – Landers Nolley II, DeAndre Williams and Lester Quinones – from a team that beat Mississippi State to win the NIT Championship. He also added three major transfers: Earl Timberlake (9.3 PPG in Miami), Tyler Harris (7.5 PPG at Iowa State) and Chandler Lawson (4.4 PPG at Oregon).
Memphis was outside the top 25 in July’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 update, but Duren and Bates’ additions put the Tigers in the top 10 – and clearly in the domestic championship conversation.
Bates isn’t 18 until January, so he’s too young to compete in the 2022 NBA Draft. Draft rules state that a prospect must be removed from his one-year-old class and be 19 at the time. during this calendar year to enter the project. Bates won’t be 19 until January 2023. As a result, he could end up playing college basketball for two years, or going to college for a year, then playing in the G League or elsewhere for a year before that. to enter the 2023 draft.
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